Second Chance
by kitty1010
Summary: Future!Fic. Rachel returns to Lima after a decade long self-imposed exile to find that some things have changed, some things are exactly the same, and some things were simply never as they seemed. Puckleberry is my drug of choice.
1. Chapter 1

Yeah, '5 days' is going nowhere fast (I broke my angst button, but am sure it will fix itself soon), and I was inspired by a moment in a short story -which I can't access right now to give you the name/author because my internet is being naughty but I promise I will tell you next time...

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_Rachel returns to Lima after a decade long self-imposed exile to find that some things have changed, some things are exactly the same, and some things were simply never as they seemed. _

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Rachel Berry sat on the top step of her daddy's porch, a steaming mug of coffee chasing the chill from her hands. The bitter January weather of Lima, Ohio was in stark contrast to the LA sunshine she'd left behind her. Rachel allowed herself to be slightly hypnotised by the smoke-like tendrils drifting from the brew poised at her pursed lips, as she reflected on the blessing in disguise that had been her rejection from Juilliard. After all, it turned out several students from McKinley were heading to New York, while she was quick to accept UCLA's offer to specialise in musical theatre when she realised no-one she knew was heading to the west coast.

Her reverie was broken when her gaze, once unfocussed yet now keenly attentive, fell upon what was possibly the best looking denim-clad ass she'd ever seen. It was lean, muscular and firm looking; Rachel cocked an eyebrow and swallowed a sigh of appreciation. The owner of said ass was currently leaning under the open hood of a vintage Mustang coupe, faded and worn jeans molded to his damn near perfect rear and thighs that promised strength and stamina. Rachel blushed at the carnal direction her thoughts had taken, and rolled her shoulders as she straightened her spine, as though physically shaking off the images that had invaded her thoughts.

_Focus Rachel,_ she lectured herself. _You came back here to redeem your reputation, to prove to your daddies and the gossips down at the JCC that Rachel Berry is someone to be proud of. Stick to the plan! _She let out a gasp of surprise (tainted with a smidge of outrage) when the man across the street unfolded himself from his position, scrubbing a hand over his head as he turned to reveal the devilishly handsome good looks of Noah freaking Puckerman. None other than the reason for her debauched reputation within the halls of William McKinley High School and the hallowed JCC set whose opinions her daddies valued so greatly.

Of course the ten years since she'd last laid eyes on him had treated him well. It was too much to ask that he suffer in retribution for allowing everyone to think she'd slept with him in junior year. She'd found herself alienated by her classmates, including those who she'd considered friends, who blamed her for breaking the heart of the school's golden boy (her ex-boyfriend). Then to compound the severity of the issue, she'd had to endure the whispers of the yentas at the JCC, who delighted in the opportunity to sully the name of the 'perfect' Rachel Berry by regaling all and sundry with (blatantly untrue) tales of her sexual liaison with 'that Puckerman boy'. Rachel's daddies had been so disappointed in her, and she'd failed in her endeavour to make them believe her when she'd vehemently denied the salacious rumours.

Rachel sighed. To be honest, she was tired of her daddies holding the 'Puckerman debacle' (as they referred to it, and frequently) over her head. Every time they wanted to get their way, they would rehash how she'd let them down until she gave in. At 28 she'd finally relented to their overtures to get her to move home (where,she suspected, they simply wanted to be better able to keep an eye on her), hoping that by taking over the dance school downtown and establishing herself in her own home she would be able to show the small-minded folk of her home town just what kind of person she'd grown up to be.

Rachel bit back a squeal of alarm when she realised Noah was approaching her. _Shit, shit, shit!_ She was panicking. Seeing Noah was not part of her plan of action, and Rachel did not respond well to changes of plan.

"Noah, how lovely to see you. I didn't realise you were in Lima." She flashed her trademark 'show must go on' smile, praying that her eyes would not betray the conflicting emotions roiling through her as she faced the man who so inadvertently shaped her adulthood so far. Because, no she hadn't slept with this man back in high school, but she had wanted to. And if he'd shown any inclination, she'd have weathered the storm with him, just to be with him. Yet he'd made her look like a fool, as though he'd used her for sex, as though that was all he was after, as though he'd never had feelings for her. He'd broken her heart, and she'd learned (vowed) never to let anyone close enough to do it again.

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What do you think? Do you want more? Do you want me to go back to my dayjob? Go on, review for me... *bats eyelashes beguilingly*


	2. Chapter 2

So, the story I was reading when I was smashed over the head with this plot bunny is called _Naughty is Nice_, by Tawny Webber. If you read it you'll know what I mean when I say _NiN_ prompted this fic, but this is by no means a _copy_ of the story.

Thanks to niccari and Bec07 who were generous enough with their time to leave me some encouragement – it means a lot to me.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, on with the show...

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A couple of purposeful strides brought Noah to a halt in front of Rachel. His solid, exceedingly masculine frame dwarfed her as she perched on the step, forcing her to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. This was most a unsatisfactory situation to Rachel, so she rose from her seat (ignoring the fact that despite being two steps above Noah, she was only just seeing eye to eye with him).

"Berry" Noah stated simply, his baritone voice raising goosebumps on her forearms beneath layers of thermal and sweater. "Thought that was you." He openly ogled her, his piercing hazel eyes traveling the length of her body before returning to her face, a smirk in place on his _kissable_ lips. Rachel blinked, silently congratulating herself on holding back the flush that threatened to creep across her cheeks.

"I've been back a while" Noah continued. "You on holiday or something?" He had his hands shoved into the front pockets of his jeans, and his tone was casual. "Cos I would've picked somewhere a bit fucking warmer. Just sayin'". His eyes hadn't left hers.

Rachel took a breath, giving herself time to get into character, before answering his question. "Actually" she started, wincing inwardly at the artificially bright tone of her voice, "I've moved back. I've taken over the dance school downtown, and I am staying with Dad and Daddy until I have renovated the upstairs apartment to a standard fit for habitation."

"You've come back to teach kids how to dance? You fucking serious? Figured I would've seen you in a movie by now..." a furrow had appeared between Noah's _perfect, expressive_ eyebrows as he frowned at her.

"Dreams, like plans and expectations, are liable to change in the course of ten years, Noah" Rachel bit her lower lip, not seeing the flash of fire in Noah's eyes as she did so.

"Your dreams must've flipped a 180 then, Berry. I would've thought you'd walk through hell in bare feet before you ever _dreamed_ of coming back to Loserville, Ohio." Noah was genuinely taken aback by what he was hearing.

He'd watched Rachel run as far and as fast as she could following graduation. He couldn't understand why she'd return to the town, the people, the house where she'd been so fucking miserable for the last eighteen months of high school. He'd done what he had to do to make it easy for her to escape the suffocation of her small town life, but that didn't mean he hadn't seen the ever increasing dullness in her sweet-chocolate hued eyes, or the gradual shrinking of her already petite frame. He'd watched with concern as she threw herself into her performances, whether it be academic, musical or dance related (and no, he had never missed a show; sequestered in the shadows at the back of the auditorium, he watched her vent her emotions on-stage as an undeniable ache spread through his belly). He'd doubted himself over and over again, bringing himself back to reality when he saw her awesome talent and personality being stifled by those who were supposed to love and nurture her.

Back in high school, Noah had seen he couldn't offer Rachel anything like what she deserved in a future – as his mother, her fathers', their teachers and friends had all painstakingly pointed out to him. No-one expected the delinquent son of an abusive drunkard to amount to anything. To go anywhere. To be anybody. He'd brushed most of the criticism off, determined to meet his own expectations and achieve his own goals. He had little time for others' opinions... except when it came to Rachel. His shining star was destined for more than he could imagine, and he had refused to be the one to hold her back.

Now Noah was feeling a little angry and a little resentful that the sacrifices made a decade ago had effectively amounted to nothing. His shining star was back in the half-assed twilight of Lima, where everything and everybody was tainted by a prosaic air of weariness.

Rachel's melodic tone pulled him from his musings. "There is more to life than fame and fortune, you know. Like love, and family, and a sense of home..." the look that flashed across Rachel's face indicated she hadn't meant to tell him this. She sighed, and continued. "It turned out LA didn't have anything I wanted. I was tired, tired of hiding, tired of the superficial existence I was living..."

Noah ascended the step separating them, hands clenched into fists at his side. "What _do_ you want, Rach?" he asked gently, his eyes probing hers for answers, or promises, or both.

"I don't know." Rachel shrugged helplessly. "Redemption? Resolution? To feel wanted? Like I belong, like someone would miss me..." her rambling was cut off as Noah slanted his mouth over hers, caressing her face with worn hands that ghosted down to her hips then back to entangle in her hair.


	3. Chapter 3

Oh, my bad! Forgot to tell y'all that Glee is not mine. I'm sure that has cleared up a lot of confusion.

Nova802, Bonesluver and seacat03 all made me a very happy camper today with their reviews – thanks!

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Noah slanted his mouth over hers, caressing her face with worn hands that ghosted down to her hips then back to entangle in her hair.

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Rachel's eyes fluttered closed and her breath hitched in her throat. An easy warmth flared from her centre and spread until she felt certain if she looked in a mirror her reflection would be glowing. This feeling... she'd spent ten years trying to recreate this feeling. Pretending this sensation would, or could happen with someone other than Noah. The reaction this man could elicit from her body was like nothing Rachel had experienced since. She ran her hands up his torso before firmly pushing at his chest, creating space between them.

"You don't get to do that!" she cried. "You don't get to do that..."she echoed in a whisper, as she wrapped her arms around herself. "You just don't. I can't..."

"You can't what?" Noah challenged her. He rested his hands on Rachel's hips and looked into her eyes.

Rachel disentangled herself from his grasp. She sighed, heavily, and clasped her hands together, rubbing her left palm with her right thumb as she spoke.

"You... I just... after... I thought... then it was..."

"Seriously, you're gonna have to use full sentences if you want me to know what the fuck you're on about, babe" Noah interrupted the rambling brunette, pressing a finger to her lips.

"See? That! I'm not your babe. You made that happen, or rather, not happen... that was all you. So you don't get to act all like eleven and a half years ago you didn't break my heart, like you didn't leave me looking like an idiot. We had something, and you threw it away, and I don't even know why! I have spent a decade – a decade! Being someone else, someone more like you, acting every day, not letting anyone in, because I don't want to get hurt again. So you don't get to -"

"More like me? What is me, then Rach? Enlighten me." Noah's tone was harder, and Rachel blinked in surprise at being cut off again.

She swallowed before counting on her fingers. "Distant, self-sufficient, not forming any attachments, never letting anybody know what you are thinking, or what you want. In it for a good time, not for a long time, right? Cutting and running when anyone starts to care about you." At first the words flowed quickly, then Rachel paused and looked at Noah. "I don't know how you do it – how you keep it up. I'm exhausted. And confused. I don't even know who the real me is anymore." She pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a huff of frustration that was partly aimed at Noah, but mostly at herself.

"I was doing what I needed to do! What you needed me to do! I couldn't hitch you to this wagon going fucking nowhere, Rach! You were the only person who truly gave a shit about me, and I was a waste of space! A waste of your time! You were meant to go out and rule the fucking world – and you didn't. Which just means that everything was a waste _anyway_. Ten fucking years, _wasted_!" Noah was angry, she could tell. His eyes had darkened and narrowed, and his shoulders tensed as he half yelled, half spat out words that were taking forever to make sense in her mind.

"Wagon going nowhere?" Rachel questioned him, as a memory came to the forefront of her mind.

_"Daddy, it's not like that! Noah loves me, and I love him, and we are going to be together, but we haven't done anything! I don't understand why you won't believe me." Sixteen year old Rachel was primed for a fight, her hands on her hips as she glared at her father._

_"You've allowed yourself to become distracted from your goal, Rachel! We've worked too hard for you to hitch yourself to that wagon going nowhere... you are going to be a star in New York City, and that kid is going to be stuck here living out his father's legacy"_

"You got that from my father. That's what he said to me, when I was defending you – us - to him. You let him tell you... you let him and his _bullshit_ ruin what we had? We were special Noah. We would've – it doesn't even matter. I can't believe that you let him tell you what to do, just when I stopped letting him dictate my life to me." Rachel was so angry that she had tears pooling, and she blinked them away furiously.

"I can't believe he thought he could make me do what he wanted by taking away what I wanted... I can't – Shit! I can't stay here. I can't fathom looking at either of them, right now." Rachel turned and stormed through the front door, stomping up the stairs. She didn't notice Noah following her until he spoke from the doorway as she threw the few belongings she'd already unpacked back into a suitcase.

"The fuck? What are you doing? You can't go back – I mean, seriously? This is me asking you not to go back. I can't let you – I never would've..."

"I'm not going back. I'm just not staying here with these _autocratic_, overbearing, meddling _morons_!" Rachel started lugging a bag down the stairs, each thud punctuating her angry diatribe.

"You could stay with me..." Rachel didn't even let him finish.

"_You_ are not off the hook. They might've interfered with my life more times than I can count, but _you_? You let them! You let me think you didn't want me! You _hurt_ me! And you think a kiss and half an explanation makes it ok? You are going to have to do a hell of a lot more than that! I am going to my hellhole apartment, with it's stinky carpets, and I will move in even if the kitchen is pepto-bismol pink." Rachel was back in her room, dragging another suitcase out from under her bed.

Noah absorbed what Rachel had said, as he automatically moved to take the case from her. "So, I get to make it ok, though, right? You're going to let me make it up to you?" he started to ramble. "I mean, I'll probably be useless, I never did do any of that romantic stuff that chicks seem to like – I'll probably fuck it up. But I need to try." He stopped and looked at Rachel. "I never forgot you, Rach. I dreamed about what it would've been like, if I hadn't been such a Lima loser."

"You were never a Lima loser, Noah, never." Rachel shook her head. "I'm not very good at letting people _in_ anymore, Noah. But I never forgot you, either." She looked at him. "You want to start making it up to me? I have three more bags and few boxes in the garage. I want to be gone before they get home from work - I can't even talk to them right now."

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Review? Please? Tell me what you liked, what you hated, what could be better... was it to ooc? Seriously, reviews make me happy!


	4. Chapter 4

Many grateful thanks to Bonesluver, couragetcd and Nova802 for letting me know the last chapter wasn't rubbish ;).

I apologise for any typo's etc – it's midnight and none of this is beta'd, so chances are I missed something...

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It took several hours and a trip to the Walmart superstore to get Rachel's apartment liveable, even just up to Noah's standards. Rachel had tried to tell him she didn't need his help once he'd lugged her cartons up the dodgy external stairs, but he'd taken one look at the mildewed curtains, and worn carpets and ignored her.

He discovered, upon pulling up the old carpet, that the floorboards were in pretty good shape – much to Rachel's delight. She clapped her hands and started rabbiting about rag rugs that could co-ordinate with new drapes. Rachel had started making a list – saying if she was going to set foot in Walmart, it was going to be once!

Noah also discovered that the hardware in the bathroom had seized and would need replacing, along with the stove – and while the refrigerator was working, it had a stain down the door that was definitely not kosher.

"You paid good money for this place?" he cocked an eyebrow at Rachel.

"Yes, and you can just hush." It was hard to take her seriously when she smiled at him like that. "It's all cosmetic, really... just means there is room for me to put the _Rachel Berry_ stamp on it."

The two of them worked up a sweat; ripping up the carpet was Noah's task, sugar soaping the walls and scrubbing the bathroom was Rachel's. Noah had laughed when he saw that Rachel wasn't exaggerating about the colour of her kitchen, then he scrubbed out the cabinetry. When they'd collapsed on the floor in the living area (it had no furniture yet, as Rachel hadn't been able to decide on a colour scheme) with takeout chinese and cheap wine it was easy to laugh with each other, as though they were simply two old friends catching up.

Of course, it wasn't that simple. When it came to satisfying each others curiosity about the past ten years, there was always going to be the potential for frustration, anger and hurt. Noah was determined to take this second chance with Rachel, though he could see she was wary. He'd spent ten years (eleven and a half, actually) feeling as though he'd lost a limb or something, and from what she'd said so far, it seemed to him as though she'd been equally miserable without him. Noah resolved to do whatever it took, for as long as it took to earn back Rachel's trust and her love.

"I couldn't believe it when you left, and it wasn't to go to New York..." Noah chanced a look at Rachel, and popped a spring roll into his mouth.

Rachel pointed a chopstick at Noah. "That's easy. I didn't get in to Juilliard, and I didn't apply anywhere else in New York. I only wanted Juilliard. Well, my daddy only wanted Juilliard.". She saw Noah's eyebrow raise, and spoke again. "I already knew I didn't want to go to New York anymore. That was part of another dream, and if I couldn't have all of that dream I didn't want any of it. But LA came through for me. I still got away from here, from everyone, everything."

"And how did your dads' take that?" Noah sounded skeptical – he knew first hand how important it was to her dads' for Rachel to go to New York, to be a star on Broadway.

"They cut me off at first" Rachel said it quickly, quietly. It did nothing to tame Noah's reaction.

"The fuck?" he cried out. "They _cut you off_, like how?" He was so angry for her, and he knew it was because he'd basically done the same thing to Rachel when he'd tried to make her hate him in junior year by being an asshole.

Rachel drank deeply from her glass of wine. "Well, they wouldn't give me any of the money they'd saved for college, and they wouldn't help me move, and they didn't return my calls or emails or anything for a while..." she paused, and rushed to placate the fuming man in front of her. "I mean, it was okay. I had scholarships, and I got a job in a nice cafe. I lived in dorms while I was in college, and moved into a studio after."

"What do you mean, after college? How long did this go on?" Noah was genuinely upset. His Rachel had been alone, actually alone, for what sounded like a good few years. He was so pissed with her dads. He was so pissed with himself. If he hadn't been feeling so sorry for himself, he could've manned up and gone to be with her.

"Well, they really only got in touch with me earlier this year, when they wanted to tell me daddy was sick, and I should come home. He wasn't even really ill – they made it sound life threatening and it was an angina attack, for goodness sake!" Rachel sighed. "My contract was up at the network, so I figured it was a sign that it was time to come back and show them what I can do, if you know what I mean."

"God, Rach. I'm sorry – I feel like this was my fault. I should've -"

"Stop. I don't want to get into that tonight, okay? I want us to be two friends, eating chinese on the floor, getting a bit drunk, and sharing what we've been up to. Just nice, casual, mellow. Can we do that?" Rachel took one of Noah's hands in hers and gave it a squeeze.

"Well, shit, sure. If that's what you want, but you know we are going to need to have a deep and meaningful eventually, right? Cos I ain't letting this shit drop that easy." She nodded, and gave him a small smile. "So, what's this about a network? What did you do in LA? I thought you must've been a dance teacher, since you came back to this..." Noah indicated their surroundings with a sweeping gesture, then refilled both their glasses as she listened to her explain. He was surprised to realise they were already more than halfway through the second bottle.

"I guess I was, sort of. I was a technical advisor for the music and choreography on a couple of shows – mostly game shows, local stuff. I was lucky to get an internship in my last semester, and they liked me, so I fell into it really." Rachel shrugged.

"Did you mind leaving your friends, though? Your life there? Is there anyone... _else_?" Noah tried to ask without sound like a pussy (he thinks he failed).

"You know me, Noah – I've never really gotten the hang of making friends. I had acquaintances and colleagues. And no – there is no-one '_else_'. I never found anyone that I wanted to let in. I spent awhile being a bit more like you, actually. I figured I would just give everyone who asked a chance-"

Noah's nostrils flared as he let out an animalistic growl. Rachel looked at him and huffed with frustration and amusement.

"Not like _that_" she slapped his arm. "Like a date. I might've kissed a few, but no-one got past the first date. There was no..."

"Spark? Connection? Uncontrollable urges?" Noah filled in the blank when Rachel trailed off. "Are you saying that you're still a-" Rachel cut him off, blushing.

"I did not say that" she protested.

"Yeah, you kinda did" he pointed out, smirking.

"I didn't mean to. It's only because we're drinking." Rachel's cheeks were flaming. "Anyway, I think I am done talking about me. It's your turn. You said today you're back? From where? What have you been doing with yourself, Noah?" She looked at him expectantly.

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Okay, I fully intended to cover both of them in this chapter, but I am going to have to break it up – I don't want to put you off by having too much info in one hit. So tomorrow it's Noah's turn! Yay!

What did you think – I'm undecided on this one. Is it boring? Needed a little less conversation, a little more action? (Shit, I must be tired if I'm quoting Elvis at y'all!) I love reviews, so have at it!


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, so I'm going to be pedantic for a moment :)... lols yes, I know I am pedantic all the time, but seriously – this is important so we are all on the same page. This is a future-fic, right? And Rachel and Noah are 28, which would make it 2022. However. I'm writing it as though it were today, now. Like, the songs or movies or anything like that in my fic, are from now, or recent times, but I'm pretending they are from ten years from now. I don't have the imagination required to predict the future, apparently! It was only as I wrote this chapter that I noticed, and thought I'd share with you so it makes sense. Shit, does it make sense? (Pretty sure you stopped reading this when I started waffling, my bad).

THANKS to derekandchloe4ever and ihateyellowhats for their reviews (happy dancing, happy dancing!) - you are stars!

I still don't own Glee or the characters or the music in this story...

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_"Anyway, I think I am done talking about me. It's your turn. You said today you're back? From where? What have you been doing with yourself, Noah?" She looked at him expectantly._

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Noah stretched his legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankle, and leaned back on his hands. "Uh, well... I didn't do college. I didn't even apply to any. I didn't see the point, when I wasn't going to get in. My GPA wasn't good enough, and I didn't give enough of a shit to do any of that catch up shit."

Rachel frowned at him "You would have been fine if you'd tried, if you'd wanted it."

"Yeah, well, I didn't so... I actually got a job with Burt after everyone took off for college. He wanted an apprentice, and Finn said I should talk to him about it, and, yeah. So, you know, I was doing shit." Noah coughed a little, and took a sip of his wine - hoping to rid his voice of the defensive tone he'd been using.

"So, you're a mechanic?" Rachel asked, leaning forward a little (inadvertently giving Noah a view straight down the vee of her sweater).

"Uh, what?" Noah's eyes snapped back to Rachel's. "Well, yeah, I'm qualified, but I don't really do that anymore. Only when Burt needs a hand, since I got back."

Rachel looked confused, and Noah laughed softly before elaborating. "I did my three years with Burt, then he told me to take my ass somewhere else-"

"What? That doesn't sound like Mr Hummel!" Noah loved that Rachel sounded outraged for him.

"Let me finish, will ya? He got me a job with someone he knew down in Nashville – he said, and I quote, 'figure you'd fit in all right down there with your plaid shirts and your guitar'" Noah chuckled. "He was right. It was amazing. I worked for Tony in the garage during the day, and I went out to singer/songwriter open mics at night. I wrote a lot about you, actually." He shot her a small grin.

"You wrote songs, Noah? Oh, I want to hear one. Have you got your guitar in your truck?" Rachel looked ready to run downstairs and grab it.

"Uh, well, you probably already have..." Noah mumbled, earning himself a quizzical quirk of Rachel's eyebrow. "I got picked up by a label, Warner/Chappell, and they've bought a few of my songs..."

"Like?" Prompted Rachel, with a huge, proud smile.

"I'm guessing you've heard of James Blunt? Uh, he's sung a couple of mine. Carry You Home, Same Mistake. Bublé? Um, Everything is one of mine..." Noah trailed off, a bit embarrassed. He didn't usually brag about his accomplishments like this.

"But I know those songs!" Rachel kind of laughed. "Why don't I know you wrote them? I would've noticed that, surely? I mean, I was practically in the music business in LA – I should've noticed some songs by Noah Puckerman."

"I use a different name for my songwriting," Noah told her. "For a couple of reasons, really. At first I was still trying to make it as a recording artist, and I wanted to my name to be associated with that when it happened."

"That makes sense, I suppose. What name _did_ you use?" Noah almost laughed at Rachel. She was sitting cross legged, leaning forward, with an expression of excited curiosity on her face. He should've known she would be totally rapt for him.

"Uh, Cain Lindemann – it was my zayde's name, I thought if I was using a different name, I should still use something meaningful. My boss was all for John Smith-ing it..." he trailed off.

"I think it's wonderful that you were remembering your zayde like that – I bet your mom was proud." Rachel couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she thought of how much Noah had achieved. She'd recognised his potential, especially musically, back in high school, but knew he had little support in that regard from his mom after the baby mama, juvie and 'corrupting that good girl' drama's (she'd accidentally heard his mom, once, berating him for disappointing her. It hadn't been pleasant).

"Yeah, she might've been if I told her." Noah tried to sound nonchalent, but knew he'd failed when Rachel sat up straight and cried out

"Why wouldn't you tell her? You could prove her so wrong – why don't you?"

It was Noah's turn to cock an eyebrow, as it seemed like Rachel knew more about his relationship with his mother than he would have thought.

"First year I was in Nashville, my dad came back. His new family didn't want him anymore, he was too much of a waster, so he came back to mom and she let him." He figured the faster he said it, the easier it would be. "Becca was only sixteen, still at school. She freaked out, so Nana Connie asked her to live with her, so that worked out okay. But my dad's still drinking and shit, my mom still lets him... she says it's her life – what am I meant to do?" He shrugged helplessly. "As far as I know, he hasn't been hitting her... so?"

"Oh, Noah. I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to deal with your dad again. That must have been hard." Rachel had scooted over next to Noah, and had a hand on his thigh. He could feel it searing into his flesh through the denim of his jeans, but his attention was caught by the empathy in her beautiful doe-like eyes.

"But what, I mean... why not tell her? About the music?"

"It wasn't hard – I just haven't seen him or anything. It's just like before except I don't see my ma, much. And I haven't told her cos he's already been asking me for money – I don't want him to know I actually have some. Would make shit awkward pretty fucking quick. I might have to hit him, and that would kinda suck. He's the second reason I didn't use my name for my songs."

"I'm impressed that you are avoiding an opportunity for violence, Noah." Rachel smirked at him, he knew this was her way of toning down what had become a heavy conversation. "I'm sorry you feel like you've lost your mom, though. I bet you could have used her support while you were getting sorted."

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry you felt like you lost your dads. Pretty sure you could've used their support while you were miles away in fucking lala-land." Noah threw an arm around Rachel's shoulder, and said lightly, "Looks like we can be two fucked up emotional retards together, then".

Rachel smiled "Looks like" she agreed. "I still don't understand why you're back, though. Why didn't you stay in Nashville?"

"That? Oh, that's actually kinda a cool story. Becca's having a baby!" he couldn't hide the grin on his face if he tried. "No fucking way Uncle Noah wasn't going to be around for the kid."

"Oh my god, really? I still see her as a kid in my head, but she must be nearly... 21 now?" Rachel was completely surprised (not by Noah's enthusiasm, he always did love babies, but by his news), "Is she healthy, happy?"

Noah was still beaming. "Surprised, but happy. She's been with Micah since high school, he treats her real good. And yeah, she's 21 in a few weeks, actually. She was doing teaching at OSU, almost finished – they're going to let her come back next year to wrap it up, so it's all good. Seriously, it's like a ray of freaking sunshine – I think for both of us." he scoffed at himself. "You better not tell anyone I said that."

"Oh, I wouldn't want them to question your badass-ness. Your gushy little secret is safe with me" Rachel kind of tickled his ribs as she made her voice go all babyish.

"Are you mocking me? That's it!" Noah grabbed Rachel around the waist and drew her closer to him, before he started to mercilessly tickle her. She had tears of laughter running down her face, and was shrieking hysterically for him to stop.

"Mercy, mercy! I'm sorry! I won't mock you! I think it's seriously badass that you go gooey over babies!"

Noah stopped tickling her, and Rachel sat for a minute getting her breath back. When she finally looked up, she realised just how close the two of them were. Her tongue darted out to lick her top lip, nervously. Her eyes didn't leave Noah's, as he dipped his head lower and kissed her for the second time that day.

* * *

Okay – I felt really bad about claiming James Blunt's and Michael Bublé's songs for Noah – they are super talented men, and those songs are beautiful and wonderful (you should go listen, imagining that Noah wrote them about/for Rachel, I think they are quite perfect, especially for their history within this story).

Oh please, won't you review?  
I so love it when you do.  
So far there's been a few,  
I'm being greedy now it's true.

It just makes me want to write  
When I hear I've got it right.  
Makes me feel high as a kite,  
And it helps me sleep at night.

(dramatic much? Lols)

Seriously – I would love to hear your thoughts. xK.


	6. Chapter 6

I was determined to write tonight, but I am in a bit of a bad mood. So I thought I'd paint my nails blue and purple to cheer me up, but all that led to was me getting cranky that I couldn't do my right hand as neatly as my left. Now it's later in the evening, and I've had another coffee, and I'm ready, I think.

What put me in a good mood this morning was my review notifications! Who knew writing y'all a poem would inspire you to leave me a little something. So, vixiewixie, couragetcd, Berlian, derekandchloe4ever, niccari, jperks, nova802 and gleek – you have my gratitude :).

* * *

_Her eyes didn't leave Noah's, as he dipped his head lower and kissed her for the second time that day._

* * *

A too brief moment later an obnoxious ringing pierced the air. Rachel groaned, resting her forehead on Noah's as she closed her eyes in frustration.

"S'that your phone, babe?" Noah asked her.

"Yep." Rachel answered.

"Are ya gonna get it?" Rachel could feel Noah's breath on her face as he spoke.

"I guess." She pulled herself to her feet, only now recognising that she was more than slightly inebriated. She swayed a little as she waited for her head to clear, then grabbed her phone off the bench in the kitchen.

Noah laughed when he saw Rachel make her way to the kitchen. There's no way that woman would pass a sobriety test right now, she was all over the place. He stopped laughing when he heard her tone change from slightly sleepy but happy to pointed and angry.

"Damn it, I am not over-reacting!" Rachel shouted, as she pivoted in the doorway and walked further into the kitchen. "No – I told you. I am living in my apartment, where I have control over my own damned life!" A pause. "I will not calm down!"

Noah approached Rachel, running his knuckles down her cheek. She inhaled deeply, and gave him a small, grateful smile as she took his hand in hers.

"Daddy. I ran into Noah today. Noah Puckerman! Yes, I think you probably can imagine why I am so angry." Rachel had calmed down, and was now using what Noah used to refer to as her 'scary-serious' voice. "No – you listen. I realise it is difficult for you to comprehend that you've lost me as your little marionette. When you can acknowledge that you were wrong, can apologise for ignoring me, and are ready to treat me like a grown woman with her own mind, give me a call. Until then, you can both back off!" With a dramatic flourish, Rachel ended the call. She seemed very sober all of a sudden.

"You okay?" Noah pulled Rachel into a hug. "That was pretty badass!" He smirked down at her, causing her to break into a soft giggle. She nuzzled her head into his chest for a second, then pulled back to look at him.

"I still want to be mad at you, too. I don't think I can, though." Rachel shrugged. "I guess I'm feeling like that would just waste more time... it feels so right to talk to you, to be around you, to kiss you". The last part was spoken so softly Noah was half inclined to think he'd imagined it in a case of wishful thinking. But then Rachel was on her tip toes, pressing her lips against his briefly and dropping back to the floor before Noah'd even gotten his bearings enough to deepen the kiss.

"It _is_ right, it's what should've been all along." Noah sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. I don't have an excuse... I should've been man enough to ignore all the bullshit and just go for what I wanted, but I wasn't. I mean, it wasn't even just your dads, babe." He lifted Rachel so she was sitting on the counter, then stood between her legs and wrapped his arms around her.

"What do you mean? Saying we shouldn't be together?" Rachel's eyebrows furrowed as she listened to Noah continue.

"My mom was first in line to tear strips off me when she heard the rumour about us hooking up. She slapped me round the freaking _ear_, for fucks sake! Should never have let that woman watch Fight Club... but, yeah. She was a member of the 'Rachel needs to go be famous' cheer squad, and told me that I wasn't good enough for you, and I would hold you back." Noah had dropped his head to Rachel's shoulder, and was caressing the soft exposed skin of her neck with his lips as he spoke.

"Really? Your mother said that? That's... awful! She – I just... What is wrong with our parents, Noah?" Rachel moved Noah's face until he was looking at her again. "I am being serious. What is _wrong_ with them? They didn't even give us a chance. They were okay with us when we were friends - why did they react so badly to the possibility of a relationship? I mean, all I got was a week of secret making out, a public make-out at Brittany's party which led to awful gossip, which led to you ignoring me! I didn't get to enjoy any of it, because everyone was mad at me!"

"Babe." Noah stepped back, "You're right, you shouldn't forgive me yet. I was such an ass – you have to make me work harder to make it better." Rachel was already shaking her head before Noah finished talking.

"You still don't listen to me, Noah" she teased. "I'm not wasting any more of our time by being angry. I already know I am miserable without you. I have been happier today – moving out of my dads' and trying to make this place liveable, while dealing with the knowledge that my fathers' thought they had the right to manipulate my life... and I have been _happy_ doing all of that, because it was with _you_! All you have to do is look at me, and any anger I have inside just melts!" Rachel hopped off the counter and pulled Noah to her. She held him close and pressed her ear against his chest so she could hear his heart beating. "You calm me down, Noah. You always have been able to calm this crazy" she felt his chest shake as he let out a chuckle.

"I want us to take it slow, though, Noah." Rachel tensed a little as she spoke, though she needn't have worried. Noah kept one hand firm on the small of her back and the other curling the hair at the nape of Rachel's neck, as he nodded in agreement.

"Imma do this right for you, Rach. Make you feel like a star, my gold star." It was Rachel's turn to laugh lightly.

"I don't need to be a star, Noah, as long as I'm yours." She chanced a look up at Noah's face, thinking she might be pushing his 'mush' limits, but he just smiled and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

"I reckon you pretty much always were mine, Rach. Just like I was always yours. No-one else stood a chance." He dropped his hands to her hips, and a kiss to her lips, before he continued. "In the interests of taking things slow, babe, I'm gonna head off." Noah kissed her again, a little deeper, for a little longer. "How about we do lunch tomorrow? Becca doesn't have any classes on Monday's, so we could do the meet and greet, if you wanted..." he trailed off, trying to read the expression on Rachel's face.

"I would be honoured to, well it's a re-meet really, isn't it? I used to see Becca when you and I were friends." Rachel smiled at Noah, genuinely excited to see the girl who meant so much to Noah that he'd returned home to support her.

"She's going to love you, she keeps going on at me to fix whatever's broken in my 'being happy-ness', and we've talked about you.. y'know, since – then." Noah grabbed Rachel's phone and entered a quick text. His phone beeped from in the other room. "'Kay, now you got my number, and I got yours. I'll call you in the morning and let you know when I'll pick you up."

"Noah, you don't have to pick me up – I can meet you where ever we end up having lunch." Rachel protested.

"Babe, this is our second date – we are going to do it properly. And after, we are going to go talk to someone about painting this god awful kitchen." Noah gestured to the room and made a face.

"Our _second_ date?" Rachel challenged him.

"Hells yeah. Chinese, wine and making out is definitely first date material." Noah laughed at the look of amusement on Rachel's face. "Now, I am not kidding when I say I gotta go before I decide to have my way with you some more. You're just too irresistible, babe!" He planted one last kiss on Rachel's cheek, before grabbing his phone and taking off in his truck.

Rachel stood at the foot of the stairs, watching him drive down the street. She had a little smile that she knew probably looked ridiculous, and fought the urge to spin around in circles until she was safely back inside her apartment.

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Reviews make the sun shine on cloudy days... :)


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